1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method and an apparatus for setting processing conditions of an image so that the optimum image that satisfies desired finishing requirements is obtained.
2. Description of the Related Art
An image processing system such as an image reading, recording and reproducing system has been widely used in the printing and platemaking industries, for example, for processing image information recorded on an original or subject to be read to produce original film plates, with an intention of simplifying the entire process and improving the quality of printed images.
In such image processing system, image processing conditions are set to effect desired processing on image data obtained by scanning an original. Specifically, in an image processing apparatus included in the system, in order to produce an original film plate suitable for its use, scanning conditions such as magnification, trimming ranges, number of output lines, halftone angles, are set according to pre-scanned image data obtained by roughly scanning the original. Further, finishing requirements with respect to such as adjustment of gray, adjustment of a human skin color and adjustment of brightness, are set. The original is scanned thereafter in detail to obtain full-scanned image data (see Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 4-111575).
In the above image processing apparatus, when the optimum value of a desired color is specified, for example, as one of the finishing requirements, other image processing conditions under which the image data takes the optimum value are decided and the image data is corrected based on the decided image processing conditions. However, the relationship between the optimum finishing requirements and the other image processing conditions is not necessarily uniform. Thus, a desired finished image is not necessarily assured from the corrected image data.